Mazda zooms ahead

The Nation February 7, 2014 1:00 am

Mazda Motor Corporation is on a roll.

The Japanese automaker chalked up year-on-year gains in all key categories. At ¥125 billion (Bt41.8 billion), global operating profit rose sharply between April and December 2013, and net income was up by over a whopping 200 per cent to ¥77 billion. Worldwide revenue, meanwhile, reached ¥1.94 trillion, an improvement of 26 per cent versus the same period in 2012.

Mazda sold 953,000 vehicles over the first nine months of 2013, which was 7 per cent more than the year before. Strong demand for its latest generation of vehicles has not let up. With the company's combination of unconventional SkyActiv Technology and award-winning "Kodo - Soul of Motion" designs, the Mazda CX-5 and Mazda6 have fuelled the firm's resurgence. They were joined by the all-new Mazda3, which is selling well following its launch in Europe.

The latest edition of Mazda's all-time bestseller, which will be introduced in Thailand during the first quarter of this year, will further stimulate growth as its global roll-out progresses over the coming months.

"Initial signs of recovery for the ailing European market in late 2013 should also benefit Mazda going forward," the company said in a statement. "On the supply side, manufacturing capacity was given a boost last month when Mazda started production at its new plant in Mexico."

In light of the upbeat situation, Mazda has again raised its profit forecast for the full fiscal year. The company increased its operating profit forecast by ¥20 billion to ¥180 billion, also revising its anticipated net income to ¥110 billion, up ¥10 billion. It's a significant improvement in both cases at more than three times the previous year's results.

As for unit sales, Mazda expects a full-year global volume of 1.325 million vehicles. Last year it sold almost 53,000 vehicles in Thailand, but company executives recently expressed concerns about the ongoing political deadlock.